Dust-pan



(No Model.)

P. A. SPIGER.

DUST PAN.

No. 396,669. Patented Ja.11.22, 1889.

QX lfmcmm. Suva idol.

fiamwmz. Q Q [1M UNITED STATES PATENT FFICEQ PRATT A. SPICER, OF MARSHALL, MICHIGAN.

DUST-PAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,669, dated January 22, 1889.

Application filed June 3, 1887. Renewed July 25, 1888. Serial No. 281,036. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PRATT A. SPICER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marshall, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Iniproveinents in Dust-Pans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of household articles known as dust-pans; and it consist-s in certain novel features, as will be hereinafter fully described, and then more particularly pointed in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dust-pan, showing my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the same.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in both of the figures.

The object of my invention is to construct a dust-pan which will. obviate the necessity of stooping over to hold the pan in position while being used, and one which will allow the user to employ both hands in sweeping or brushingthe dust or dirt upon the pan.

Another object of my invention is to construct a dust-pan the upper edge of which will not become turned up, allowing dust or dirt to get underneath the pan instead of upon it.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a dust-pan of the ordinary construotion and provided with the usual handle, a.

B represents a steadying and spreading piece preferably made of spring-wire bent upon itself at its middle portion and preferably in the form of a loop, Z1, which forms the bearing or supporting surface for the dust pan, holding it in an oblique position. The ends of this wire are secured in any convenient manner to the bottom of the dust-pan at or near the front edge and at opposite sides, as shown in Fig. 2, and it extends backward in ahorizontal position to a point beneath and in alignment with the handle, where itis bent up to form a proj eetion, 0, against which the back of the foot of the user is adapted to rest, and by means of which the pan can be moved backward when desired simply by drawing back the foot. It will be evident that this spring-wire will support the dust-pan,

holding it in an oblique position,allowing the user to employ both hands in sweeping, thus obviating the necessity of leaning over to hold the dust-pan in position and it will also be evident that as the amount of dust or dirt swept upon the pan increases it will, by its own weight and by reason of the elasticity of the wire, depress the pan and decrease its obliquity, thus preventing the dirt or dust from falling off the pan, as it would othemvise would.

The lower front corners of dust-pans have a tendency to raise up out of alignment with the central foiwvard edge of the pan, allowing dust and dirt to be swept underneath the pan instead of upon it, causi u g a large amount of extra work and loss of time. By the use of the steadying and spreading piece herein described the operator is enabled to press down the edge of the pan, thus holding the entire edge as well as the corners snugly down against the floor and keep it there by pressing the foot upon the said. elastic support.

By forming the bearing part of the spring as a ring or loop the neccs ty of having a ring secured to thehandle by means of which to han the device up is obviated. The springwire is inexpensive and can be formed on a machine in a very short length of time and is readily attached to the dustpan, so that the actual cost of the pan provided with my improved support will, be light.

By reference to my application for Letters Patent for an in'lprovement in dust-pans, filed December 5, 1887, Serial No. 257,024, it will be observed that I claim, broadly, a detachable foot-rest. Inasmuch as the foot-rest or steadyi n g and spreading device described and claimed in this application is permanently secured to the dust-pan I disclaim here the detachable foot-rest claimed in my application. No. 257,024, above referred to.

IIavin g now described the construction, pur pose, and advantages of myinveution, what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, and what I therefore claim, is

l. A dust-pan having an elastic stcadying and spreading piece secured to its bottom front edge and extending back to a point beloW and in alignment with the handle, substanti ally as described.

2. In a dust-pan, the combination, with the main pan, of a steadying and spreading piece secured to its under lower side at its front edge and extending back to a point below and in alignment with the handle forming a bear ing for the said. pan, substantially as described.

In a dust-pan, the combination,with the main pan, of a steadying' and spreading piece consisting of an elastic wire bent at its middle portion in a loop to form a bearing for the pan, and having its ends secured to the front edge of the pan at opposite corners, substantially as described.

4-. In a dust-pan, the combination, with the main pan, of a two-ended steadying and spreading piece consisting of an elastic Wire bent in a loop and secured to the under side of the pan at its forward edge and at opposite corners, and extending back to a point below and in alignment with the handle, Where it is bent up to form a projection against which the foot of the user is adapted to rest for the purpose, substantially as herein shown and described.

PRATT Av SPICER.

lVitnesses:

ELIAS HEWITT, EDW. L. SUTER. 

